The Let Them Write Series is a classroom-tested, teacher-friendly resource for Language Arts teachers of grades 4 through 8. The program is organized in nine sections, each presenting a buffet of from five to nine 1- or 2-week modules. Each classroom-ready module consists of a series of comprehensive, easy-to-follow lesson plans complete with reproducible handouts and cross-curricular extensions, together creating a proven successful template for the teaching of writing and literary analysis skills. Let Them Write: Plot Building focuses on conflict, suspense and narrative structure. Students practice first-drafting, editing, polishing and sharing original scenes and stories built around these three important elements of storytelling. The text can be implemented in the classroom alone or in tandem with the two other titles in the Let Them Write Series — SETTING AND DESCRIPTION and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Also of interest for classroom teachers is the Literacy: Made for All Series ·WORDSMITHING: Classroom Ready Materials for Teaching Nonfiction Writing and Analysis Skills in the High School Grades ·ENJOYING LITERATURE: Classroom Ready Materials for Teaching Fiction and Poetry Analysis Skills in the High School Grades ·STORY CRAFTING: Classroom Ready Materials for Teaching Fiction Writing in the High School Grades

Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION TO LET THEM WRITE Messages from the authors How to implement this program The aims and objectives of this program How to implement Let Them Read Writing a literary essay The aims and objectives of Let Them Read Setting up a writer-friendly classroom Authors need a writing plan Publishing students' work NCCS Anchors addressed SECTION 1: SUSPENSE SKILL 1: USING SETTINGS TO BUILD SUSPENSE As students practice choosing and describing settings in ways that build suspense, they may become more observant about their own surroundings. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 1—SUSPENSEFUL SETTINGS Worksheet PBR 2—SUSPENSEFUL SETTINGS HAVE Worksheet SKILL 2: CREATING SUSPENSE WITH TIME Race Between Hero and Villain As young authors practice describing a race between the protagonist and antagonist of a story, they may come to appreciate the suspense inherent in any kind of race. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 3—WHO WILL WIN THE RACE? PBR 4—RACE BETWEEN THE HERO AND THE VILLAIN SKILL 3: CREATING SUSPENSE WITH TIME Race Against the Clock As students practice describing a character rushing to beat a deadline, they may come to appreciate the suspense inherent in any kind of race. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 5—RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK Worksheet SKILL 4: CREATING SUSPENSE WITH TIME Near Misses Young authors will practice using timing to create and intensify suspense in a story. In the process, they may come to understand the role played by timing in determining the course of events in real life. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 6—TIMING CREATES SUSPENSE SKILL 5: MAXIMIZING SUSPENSE BY TEASING Young authors will practice building maximum suspense by creating a 'knowledge gap' between the reader and the main character. In the process, they will come to appreciate the story-telling skill shown by the authors they are studying in class. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 7—CREATING MAXIMUM SUSPENSE PBR 8—SUSPENSE BY TEASING Worksheet SKILL 6: MAINTAINING SUSPENSE BY KEEPING THE BALANCE OF POWER Student authors will practice keeping the outcome of the conflict between protagonist and antagonist in doubt by ensuring that their respective strengths remain equal throughout the story. In the process, students may come to appreciate the value of qualities other than physical strength in determining a winner. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 9—MAINTAINING THE BALANCE OF POWER PBR 10—THE BALANCE OF POWER SKILL 7: DEVELOPING THE SUSPENSE IN A SITUATION As students practice using a variety of suspense-building techniques to make a story exciting, they may come to appreciate the potential for suspense in every situation. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 11—SUSPENSEFUL STORY SITUATIONS PBR 12—SUSPENSE BUILDING TECHNIQUES SECTION 2: DRAMATIC CONFLICT SKILL 1: UNDERSTANDING DRAMATIC CONFLICT By learning to identify the presence of dramatic conflict in a story, student authors will be better able to know whether it is present in their own writing. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 13—DRAMATIC CONFLICT Worksheet SKILL 2: BUILDING DRAMATIC CONFLICT Young authors practice building conflict as a first step in developing a story. In the process, they may come to understand the fundamental role played by dramatic conflict in real-life narratives as well. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 14—DRAMATIC CONFLICT B Sheet SKILL 3: CREATING TEXTURE WITH THREE KINDS OF CONFLICT As young authors practice including more than one antagonist in a story, they will become more aware of the role played by dramatic conflict in creating texture, deepening suspense, and increasing reader engagement. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 15—THREE TYPES OF CONFLICT SKILL 4: UNDERSTANDING STORY GOALS AND SCENE GOALS As student authors practice identifying their main characters' goals, they will learn how to plan and organize a complete story with more confidence. In the process, they may come to understand how having short-term and long-term goals can help them to plan the narrative of their own lives. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 16—STORY GOAL AND SCENE GOALS PBR 17—SCENES TAKE SHAPE SECTION 3: STORY STRUCTURE SKILL 1: UNDERSTANDING STORY STRUCTURE A Change Story As young authors practice organizing a story around a main character who must adapt to a major upheaval in his or her life, they should begin to understand that people are constantly being changed by their experiences. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 18—STORY OUTLINE Worksheet PBR 19—A CHANGE STORY Worksheet SKILL 2: UNDERSTANDING STORY STRUCTURE A Problem Story As student authors practice organizing a story around a character attempting to resolve a problem in his or her life, they should begin to understand that people learn and grow from the experience of problem-solving, whether or not an attempt is successful. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 20—A PROBLEM STORY Worksheet SKILL 3: UNDERSTANDING SCENE STRUCTURE A grasp of scene-building is fundamental to good story-writing. As students practice constructing and ordering scenes, they may also come to realize how powerful cause and effect are in determining the sequence of events of real life. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 21—STRUCTURE OF A SCENE Worksheet A SKILL 4: LINKING SCENES Student authors practice creating coherence in a story by making individual scenes flow together into a seamless narrative. In the process, they may begin to appreciate the importance of this skill in making any type of writing more engaging for the reader. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 22—OUTLINE YOUR SCENES Chart SKILL 5: WRITING OPENING SCENES As students learn about and practice writing interesting and engaging beginnings to stories, they may come to understand how important first impressions are in real life as well as in literature. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 23—SETTINGS AND PURPOSES SKILL 6: WRITING CLOSING SCENES The Climax and Denouement Student authors will learn about and practice making the end of a story emotionally satisfying to the reader. In the process, they may come to realize how important closure is in real life as well. Reproducibles/Media: PBR 24—REAL GOALS AND STATED GOALS PBR 25—CHARACTERS AND STATED GOALS